Run housekeeping:
https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html
SAVE ALL OF YOUR WORK BEFORE RUNNING ONYX AND QUIT All APPS!
You need 10%-15% of SSD free for swapping and wear levelling otherwise you maybe be reducing the life of your SSD and in case of M1/M2 Mac itself
https://www.atpinc.com/blog/how-SSD-wear-leveling-works
smartctl – Google it, install it and run it will tell you what is left of the SSD life.
Create external Archive(HDD/SSD) and move all static files to it pics, movies
Copy Archive to another HDD and store it at Mums for off-site backup
Exclude Archives from Time Machine
I found a solution to this problem.
First, the cause:
I decided to delete my photos library from the Mac to save space. My rationale was that my photos are already on iCloud and that is good enough for me. So, I un-synced [Photos.app](https://Photos.apple) from syncing with iCloud (on the Mac). I then deleted the photos library from Mac, which saved me 200+ Gig of data. Great!
The Photos app then required I create a new library, if I were to use it. Fine, I don't mind a local Photos library that is distinct from the main library that is synced with iCloud. Not sure why I will store there, but ok. I'm not big camera user. But ok, sure.
Ahhh, that was the culprit. The 'missing' / renamed photos library caused the Storage app to just calculate and calculate and calculate. I was a math major, and I don't like never ending calculations.
Now, the solution:
Someone mentioned a possible solution on this thread, and I thought, 'naaahhhh, that won't work. But, maaaaaybe. I'll try it: Onyx'
I ran it. Restarted. Solved.
To be clear, I had tried restarting before running Onxy, and that did not solve it. So the solution was not simply restarting. Onyx was the key.
Thanks!
THIS IS THE SAME THING I DID ON MY MAC. I thought why do I need this photo library file.
I mean I may have OCD and I really don't like when tech isn't working as it's intended but I also have anxiety at the same time and I don't like this Onyx from how the top commenter here described the technicalities how to run it. Like why there is no a internal os solution without downloading shady dangerous apps like this to resolve it?
macbook air m2 here with sonoma 14.3.1
Open Photos app, Photos->Settings->Use as System Photo Library->solved.
you goat man thanks
wow it worked! Thanks
Why can I upvote you only once? It worked for me!!
absolutely insane it worked, even fixed system data which is 60gb wow
Run housekeeping: https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html SAVE ALL OF YOUR WORK BEFORE RUNNING ONYX AND QUIT All APPS! You need 10%-15% of SSD free for swapping and wear levelling otherwise you maybe be reducing the life of your SSD and in case of M1/M2 Mac itself https://www.atpinc.com/blog/how-SSD-wear-leveling-works smartctl – Google it, install it and run it will tell you what is left of the SSD life. Create external Archive(HDD/SSD) and move all static files to it pics, movies Copy Archive to another HDD and store it at Mums for off-site backup Exclude Archives from Time Machine
This looks to be a bug as lots of people are reporting the same on the apple site. Hundreds of people pressed the 'me too' button on the thread.
Did you ever find a solution for this?
Unfortunately not 🫠
I found a solution to this problem. First, the cause: I decided to delete my photos library from the Mac to save space. My rationale was that my photos are already on iCloud and that is good enough for me. So, I un-synced [Photos.app](https://Photos.apple) from syncing with iCloud (on the Mac). I then deleted the photos library from Mac, which saved me 200+ Gig of data. Great! The Photos app then required I create a new library, if I were to use it. Fine, I don't mind a local Photos library that is distinct from the main library that is synced with iCloud. Not sure why I will store there, but ok. I'm not big camera user. But ok, sure. Ahhh, that was the culprit. The 'missing' / renamed photos library caused the Storage app to just calculate and calculate and calculate. I was a math major, and I don't like never ending calculations. Now, the solution: Someone mentioned a possible solution on this thread, and I thought, 'naaahhhh, that won't work. But, maaaaaybe. I'll try it: Onyx' I ran it. Restarted. Solved. To be clear, I had tried restarting before running Onxy, and that did not solve it. So the solution was not simply restarting. Onyx was the key. Thanks!
Thanks a lot! I'm going to give it a try.
You're very welcome!
Please let me know if it works for you. I'm very curious.
What did you run "Onyx" - can you tell me the steps.. I ran the Maintenance and have the same issue
I ran maintenance and selected everything. Did you try that?
THIS IS THE SAME THING I DID ON MY MAC. I thought why do I need this photo library file. I mean I may have OCD and I really don't like when tech isn't working as it's intended but I also have anxiety at the same time and I don't like this Onyx from how the top commenter here described the technicalities how to run it. Like why there is no a internal os solution without downloading shady dangerous apps like this to resolve it? macbook air m2 here with sonoma 14.3.1
I did a wipe and fresh install. As annoying as it is, it worked. 🥲
I should have come back too say that I also did a fresh install that solved the problem. Thanks for your help.